A MUM whose hospital parking tickets were paid off by a mystery good Samaritan has vowed to appeal the fines and donate the cash to charity.
Mairi Holden was forced to park illegally outside the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh after rushing her four-year-old to hospital on Wednesday afternoon.
The 35-year-old then had to stay overnight with Oscar, who was finding it extremely difficult to breathe.
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When she returned to her car the next day she found a parking ticket on the screen – and a letter from a kind passer-by with £25 enclosed.
She has now launched an appeal to track down the well-wisher, and has vowed to get the fine overturned.
And she hopes that with some success, she will be able to donate the money to the hospital which helped care for her son.
Mairi’s Facebook plea for the kind stranger to come forward has been shared thousands of times, with many describing the samaritan as a “guardian angel” and a “kind, lovely person”.
The mum-of-one, who works from home as a lifestyle coach, says she has had a few pranksters claim that they are the mystery passer-by but believes that the real person has yet to come forward.
Speaking from her home in Edinburgh today, Mairi said: “I had to park on a single yellow line and didn’t realise I would be staying overnight, so the next day I half expected to have a fine.
“Oscar was having viral-induced wheezing episodes, which he suffers from quite often, and I never know how long we’ll be at the hospital for.
“When I came down the next day my heart sank when I saw the ticket, but then I noticed a note and some money tucked under it.
“I couldn’t quite believe it, I was really overwhelmed. I think it was an older person, just because of the handwriting.
“I’d love to be able to track them down to say thank you.”
She added: “I’m going to appeal the fine and then hopefully I can think of a way of doing something good with the money, possibly donate it to the hospital.
“My Facebook post has had such an unbelievable response that I want something good to come of this.
“I’ve had a few pranksters come forward claiming they left the money, but I don’t believe the real person has made themselves known yet.
“They might not even be aware about this huge reaction – it will be lovely for them to find out.”
Mairi’s Facebook post now has had 9,800 shares and almost 3,000 comments from sympathetic Scots.
Lorraine Temperley wrote: “What a wonderful act of kindness. Lovely story and hope your wee boy is ok now.”
Debbie Sherlock said: “That’s just so kind…it takes something like this to restore your faith in humankind.”
Sam Dounis added: “A parking fine is the last thing you need at such a worrying time. Thank goodness for the kindness of a stranger. How lovely of them.”
The note used by the stranger to leave their message appears to show St Mark’s Square, Venice, prompting speculation that the person is Italian or may have visited Venice.
